Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Decanted 90 minutes. Surprising near-black color. Textbook old world style Cabernet nose, loamy, sweet tobacco leaf/humidor, red currants, graphite, well-integrated oak spice and chocolate, and balsamico notes. Mature, soft palate, medium-bodied, anise-edged dry plum, red currant, red and black cherry, balanced acidity, and a clean midpalate transition into the finish, which has resolved tannins. This is at peak now and should hold for another 2-3 years easily.
Decanted 2 hours. Not a strong nose, but the restrained mixed berry, blue Curaçao, and mocha aromas hint at a ripe, modern style. The palate is ripe and juicy, like Hi-C tropical fruit punch, with dark chocolate, vanilla cream, and blueberry jam. Tons of fruit, full-bodied, and tasty, but it's a bit too confected. Drink now-2017.
Decanted 2 hours. Slightly bretty nose, with ground white and red pepper, sweet pipe tobacco, mature cassis and blackberry. Very mature palate, reminiscent of an older Napa Cab, red currants and cassis, tarry plum, leafy herbs, integrated vanilla/cream, but also some undesirable oak barrel notes marking the palate. Drink now.
Decanted 2.5 hours. Not the best showing for this wine. Usually decanting has helped smooth it out, but this bottle was dominated by oak influences, pungent sappy oak (almost garlic), acetone, heavy raspberry, and dark chocolate. The palate has black raspberry, plum, and fig sauce but is quite disjointed, with the fruit and acidity acting independently. I'll give my other bottles some time; revisit in 2015.
Decanted 3 hours. Still young and primary. Permanent marker, blackberry jam, and black licorice on the nose. Palate has blackberry, black plum, chocolate, bubble gum, and herbal tea. The fruit is youthfully flamboyant, but the finish is quite short. Needs bottle age.
Peach, pineapple, almost mango in its tropical fruit profile, with honey and honeysuckle blossom. These flavors carry over to the palate with a weighty mouthfeel, lots of acidity and chalky mineral. This wine has a long way to go; drink 2015-2028.
2003 Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
Decanted 90 minutes. Surprising near-black color. Textbook old world style Cabernet nose, loamy, sweet tobacco leaf/humidor, red currants, graphite, well-integrated oak spice and chocolate, and balsamico notes. Mature, soft palate, medium-bodied, anise-edged dry plum, red currant, red and black cherry, balanced acidity, and a clean midpalate transition into the finish, which has resolved tannins. This is at peak now and should hold for another 2-3 years easily.
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